Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I needed to make a quick trip after work to Santa Monica to pick up wine that Stan brought back for me from the Sta Rita Hills.
The three of us ended up at a restaurant on Montana just a few blocks from their house called R & D. It is part of the "Houston's Chain". The R & D stand for research & development and that is what this restaurant does. Has a very small limited menu and they try out recipes before they are put on the menu at Houston's.
We ordered a couple salads, a hamburger, fries and meatloaf with potatoes. All the dishes were good and reasonably priced.
Best of all "no corkage". Stan brought a 2007 Sea Smoke Botella to try. The 2007 vintage is the first for the new winemaker. When the wine was poured we could tell it was much lighter in color and the previous vintages under Chris Curran. The taste was lighter, not so much up front fruit. It was a very good wine. A little more food friendly that the past years.
I enjoyed the wine immensely. For those that have been smitten with the big, bold Sea Smoke in the past this may be a shock.
This restaurant takes no reservations. It was packed when we got there and was packed when we left a few hours later, No sign of a recession here.
By the end of the evening traffic had died down and it was a reasonable drive back home
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Belated Birthday Party
Friday, June 12, 2009
Got an invitation for "FAWG" (Friday Afternoon Wine Group) for this day. I'm not a member so I only attend a function a few times a year. Theme for this event was "Best of Syrahs". I was wondering how you can bring a "best" of syrah when the hosts own a vineyard that produces some of the best syrahs around.
I think there was over 40 bottles of syrah brought and quite a few of them were really outstanding.
The host's grilled pork tenderloin and sausages and there was an abundance of food.
The view of the Los Angeles port and harbor from their patio that night was spectacular.
Turned to be a belated birthday (the big 60) for the host. Of course we all have to sing "Happy Birthday" and have a piece of cake to celebrate.
I left at a reasonable time. It's an hour's drive for me to get home. I curtailed my drinking earlier in the evening.
Saw a lot of people that I had not seen Orv's funeral last year so it was nice to catch up.
Got an invitation for "FAWG" (Friday Afternoon Wine Group) for this day. I'm not a member so I only attend a function a few times a year. Theme for this event was "Best of Syrahs". I was wondering how you can bring a "best" of syrah when the hosts own a vineyard that produces some of the best syrahs around.
I think there was over 40 bottles of syrah brought and quite a few of them were really outstanding.
The host's grilled pork tenderloin and sausages and there was an abundance of food.
The view of the Los Angeles port and harbor from their patio that night was spectacular.
Turned to be a belated birthday (the big 60) for the host. Of course we all have to sing "Happy Birthday" and have a piece of cake to celebrate.
I left at a reasonable time. It's an hour's drive for me to get home. I curtailed my drinking earlier in the evening.
Saw a lot of people that I had not seen Orv's funeral last year so it was nice to catch up.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Tablas Creek & Sage On The Coast
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Sage On The Coast restaurant, www.sagerestaurant.com, hosted a Tablas Creek dinner this evening. $60 for 5 wines and 5 courses. A bargain these days. This restaurant had been recommended to me by a "wine and food" geek who really knows his stuff.
A friend who was to go with me came down ill and could not make the dinner so I called the restaurant to find out their policy on singles. They are very accommodating and said it was no problem. I was seated at the the table with the rep from Regal Wines and Jason Haas, the general manager on Tablas Creek, www.tablascreek.com, . A couple who were wine club members rounded out the table.
They served a tray of assorted appetizers and paired it with the 2008 Vermentino. This is a really nice refreshing wine for summer. So far we are off to a good start.
Next up was "Coconut Coated Scallop with Shitake Mushrooms, Roasted Carrots, Coconut Rice, Bok Choy and Sweet & Spicy Sauce". The scallop rivals Delius. I was impressed. The wine was a 2007 Cotes de Tablas Blanc. A blend of several Rhone white varietals. Good pairing.
"Oxtail Ravioli with Spigarello and Oxtail Jus" was the next dish. This was an excellent dish and the pairing with the 2004 Mourvedre was spot on. A perfect pairing. I soaked up the Au Jus with bread and it was great.
The next dish was "Roasted Rack of Lamb with Eggplant Parmesan and Roasted Tomato Sauce. The lamb was rare the way I like it and the sauce was excellent. Very good flavor. I would have thought it had roasted red peppers in it but it did not. The wine was a 2006 E'sprit de Beaucastel, Rouge. Good pairing and this wine is always excellent.
Dessert was a "Peach Tart Tatin with a Tart Cherry Sauce". The dessert wine which was not overly sweet and went excellent with the tartness of the sauce was a 2006 Vin de Paille. Tablas Creek makes such a small amount of this wine that you can only get it at the winery. They do not make enough to put it out to their wine club members. $65 for a 375ml bottle.
I would go back to Sage because I found the food excellent and on the same level as Delius which I make all comparisons to. Delius is my benchmark for taste and quality of food. I do take into account pricing and adjust my comparisons that way.
Sage is past the Pelican Hill Resort by approximately 1 mile at the most. Coming from work in Torrance it took me 1 hour and 40 minutes to drive there. Driving home it was 25 minutes straight up Pacific Coast Hwy. They are hosting an Arcadian Wine dinner in a few weeks and I hope I can make that dinner also.
Sage On The Coast restaurant, www.sagerestaurant.com, hosted a Tablas Creek dinner this evening. $60 for 5 wines and 5 courses. A bargain these days. This restaurant had been recommended to me by a "wine and food" geek who really knows his stuff.
A friend who was to go with me came down ill and could not make the dinner so I called the restaurant to find out their policy on singles. They are very accommodating and said it was no problem. I was seated at the the table with the rep from Regal Wines and Jason Haas, the general manager on Tablas Creek, www.tablascreek.com, . A couple who were wine club members rounded out the table.
They served a tray of assorted appetizers and paired it with the 2008 Vermentino. This is a really nice refreshing wine for summer. So far we are off to a good start.
Next up was "Coconut Coated Scallop with Shitake Mushrooms, Roasted Carrots, Coconut Rice, Bok Choy and Sweet & Spicy Sauce". The scallop rivals Delius. I was impressed. The wine was a 2007 Cotes de Tablas Blanc. A blend of several Rhone white varietals. Good pairing.
"Oxtail Ravioli with Spigarello and Oxtail Jus" was the next dish. This was an excellent dish and the pairing with the 2004 Mourvedre was spot on. A perfect pairing. I soaked up the Au Jus with bread and it was great.
The next dish was "Roasted Rack of Lamb with Eggplant Parmesan and Roasted Tomato Sauce. The lamb was rare the way I like it and the sauce was excellent. Very good flavor. I would have thought it had roasted red peppers in it but it did not. The wine was a 2006 E'sprit de Beaucastel, Rouge. Good pairing and this wine is always excellent.
Dessert was a "Peach Tart Tatin with a Tart Cherry Sauce". The dessert wine which was not overly sweet and went excellent with the tartness of the sauce was a 2006 Vin de Paille. Tablas Creek makes such a small amount of this wine that you can only get it at the winery. They do not make enough to put it out to their wine club members. $65 for a 375ml bottle.
I would go back to Sage because I found the food excellent and on the same level as Delius which I make all comparisons to. Delius is my benchmark for taste and quality of food. I do take into account pricing and adjust my comparisons that way.
Sage is past the Pelican Hill Resort by approximately 1 mile at the most. Coming from work in Torrance it took me 1 hour and 40 minutes to drive there. Driving home it was 25 minutes straight up Pacific Coast Hwy. They are hosting an Arcadian Wine dinner in a few weeks and I hope I can make that dinner also.
Steve Summers Summer Wine Clearance
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Steve who has been collecting wine for a couple of years now decided to relieve his cellar of a few bottles ( to make room for some more). We all brought appetizers and he furnished all the wine. Not a bad deal.
He put out a eclectic mix of wines. I did not keep track of them but everytime a bottle was emptied another would appear to take its place.
A good time was had by all and hopefully Steve will see the need to relieve his cellar of some more wines this summer.
Steve who has been collecting wine for a couple of years now decided to relieve his cellar of a few bottles ( to make room for some more). We all brought appetizers and he furnished all the wine. Not a bad deal.
He put out a eclectic mix of wines. I did not keep track of them but everytime a bottle was emptied another would appear to take its place.
A good time was had by all and hopefully Steve will see the need to relieve his cellar of some more wines this summer.
Huber Wine Dinner
Friday, May 29, 2009
Delius Restaurant, www.DeliusRestaurant.com, hosted the Huber Wine, www.HuberCellars.com, dinner this evening. Norman and Traudl Huber the owners of the winery were in attendance and being a single I was at their table. I have met the Hubers several times at different functions and they are a delightful couple. I was looking forward to this dinner as they make a Dornfelder wine, which is a red grape from Germany. Their Dornfelder is from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and it is a really big wine. Much bigger than the wine from Germany. Norm Yost of Flying Goat is their winemaker and Brewer-Clifton are their vineyard managers. Not a better combination around.
When I was up in the Sta Rita Hills last October for Steve Pepe's birthday and Oktoberfest party. I went to the Huber's afterwards and tasted their new Dornfelder Port. At the time they did not have label approval yet so it was not available for sale. I was hoping they would have it with this dinner and was disappointed to not see it listed. Norman said not to worry he would pour it as an extra with dessert.
First course was "Chilled Lobster Salad with Tomato Tartar, Micro Greens and Blood Orange Vinaigrette". The vinaigrette was really refreshing and paired nicely with the lobster. The wine served was a 2007 Chardonnay ( slightly-oaked). Good pairing.
Second course was " Crispy Braised Pork Belly with Asian Pear Slaw and Honey Ginger Glaze. (no steak knife with this pork belly as with DaVicini's). This dish was paired with the 2007 Chardonnay (non-oaked) . When I saw this on the menu I was surprised as I would have thought a Pinot would have been poured. I would never thought to pair a Chadonnay with Pork Belly. But as it turned out to be a very perfect pairing. Everyone was really surprised and Norman Huber looked at me and "who would have thunk".
Third course was "Pan Roasted Duck with Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Carmelized Onion-Cherry Compote". This came with the 2007 Pinot Noir. Duck and Pinot are always a good match. This duck was much more to my liking that the one with the Argentine wine dinner but I think I have surmised that I really prefer to have my duck sliced before they present it to me. Its my own personal preference.
Fourth course was "Braised Boneless Beef Short Rib with Herb Polenta Cake, Baby Carrots and Red Wine BBQ Sauce". The beef was so tender it pulled away with a fork. Excellent flavor and the polenta cake was a nice touch. This was the best dish of the evening. All the food was really very good but for some reason the short rib really tasted extra special. The Dornfelder was paired with this dish and it again was an excellent pairing.
Dessert was "Chocolate Terrine with Carmelized Banana and Toasted Almond Cream". They took the banana and sliced it very thinly lengthwise ans carmelized it in a simple syrup. The banana was like along banana chip, crunchy and slightly sweet. The chocolate was so dense and rich. My kind of chocolate. The Dornfelder Port appeared. I ate my dessert first and then enjoyed the wine on its own. I do not care for sweet with sweet. To me its overkill. But I will say the Dornfelder Port was not overly sweet. An extremely nice wine.
This again was an excellent dinner and wine pairing with Delius. Their dinners are always good and a few are really outstanding and I would put this dinner in the later category.
Best wishes and a speedy recovery to Traudl Huber. She will be having a kidney transplant in July. Because she is 75 years old she could not get on the waiting list for a new kidney. A neighbor has donated a kidney to her. Turned out to be a perfect match and we wish both the doner and donee a fast recovery. How lucky Traudl is to have such a generous friend.
Delius Restaurant, www.DeliusRestaurant.com, hosted the Huber Wine, www.HuberCellars.com, dinner this evening. Norman and Traudl Huber the owners of the winery were in attendance and being a single I was at their table. I have met the Hubers several times at different functions and they are a delightful couple. I was looking forward to this dinner as they make a Dornfelder wine, which is a red grape from Germany. Their Dornfelder is from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and it is a really big wine. Much bigger than the wine from Germany. Norm Yost of Flying Goat is their winemaker and Brewer-Clifton are their vineyard managers. Not a better combination around.
When I was up in the Sta Rita Hills last October for Steve Pepe's birthday and Oktoberfest party. I went to the Huber's afterwards and tasted their new Dornfelder Port. At the time they did not have label approval yet so it was not available for sale. I was hoping they would have it with this dinner and was disappointed to not see it listed. Norman said not to worry he would pour it as an extra with dessert.
First course was "Chilled Lobster Salad with Tomato Tartar, Micro Greens and Blood Orange Vinaigrette". The vinaigrette was really refreshing and paired nicely with the lobster. The wine served was a 2007 Chardonnay ( slightly-oaked). Good pairing.
Second course was " Crispy Braised Pork Belly with Asian Pear Slaw and Honey Ginger Glaze. (no steak knife with this pork belly as with DaVicini's). This dish was paired with the 2007 Chardonnay (non-oaked) . When I saw this on the menu I was surprised as I would have thought a Pinot would have been poured. I would never thought to pair a Chadonnay with Pork Belly. But as it turned out to be a very perfect pairing. Everyone was really surprised and Norman Huber looked at me and "who would have thunk".
Third course was "Pan Roasted Duck with Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Carmelized Onion-Cherry Compote". This came with the 2007 Pinot Noir. Duck and Pinot are always a good match. This duck was much more to my liking that the one with the Argentine wine dinner but I think I have surmised that I really prefer to have my duck sliced before they present it to me. Its my own personal preference.
Fourth course was "Braised Boneless Beef Short Rib with Herb Polenta Cake, Baby Carrots and Red Wine BBQ Sauce". The beef was so tender it pulled away with a fork. Excellent flavor and the polenta cake was a nice touch. This was the best dish of the evening. All the food was really very good but for some reason the short rib really tasted extra special. The Dornfelder was paired with this dish and it again was an excellent pairing.
Dessert was "Chocolate Terrine with Carmelized Banana and Toasted Almond Cream". They took the banana and sliced it very thinly lengthwise ans carmelized it in a simple syrup. The banana was like along banana chip, crunchy and slightly sweet. The chocolate was so dense and rich. My kind of chocolate. The Dornfelder Port appeared. I ate my dessert first and then enjoyed the wine on its own. I do not care for sweet with sweet. To me its overkill. But I will say the Dornfelder Port was not overly sweet. An extremely nice wine.
This again was an excellent dinner and wine pairing with Delius. Their dinners are always good and a few are really outstanding and I would put this dinner in the later category.
Best wishes and a speedy recovery to Traudl Huber. She will be having a kidney transplant in July. Because she is 75 years old she could not get on the waiting list for a new kidney. A neighbor has donated a kidney to her. Turned out to be a perfect match and we wish both the doner and donee a fast recovery. How lucky Traudl is to have such a generous friend.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Memorial Day BBQ
Monday, May 25, 2009
Was invited to a barbeque for the holiday. There was 14 of us attending today which made for a nice gathering. I will say that the food and company was great. Appetizers were awesome. Nancy made some really nice stuffed eggs that rivaled Rose's. Rose brought baked beans which were excellent. Tri tip, burgers and homemade sausages were grilled. Home brew was brought out along with some very nice wines. It was a nice relaxing day with good wine, brew and wine.
Made up for Sunday.
Was invited to a barbeque for the holiday. There was 14 of us attending today which made for a nice gathering. I will say that the food and company was great. Appetizers were awesome. Nancy made some really nice stuffed eggs that rivaled Rose's. Rose brought baked beans which were excellent. Tri tip, burgers and homemade sausages were grilled. Home brew was brought out along with some very nice wines. It was a nice relaxing day with good wine, brew and wine.
Made up for Sunday.
Monthly Gathering of The Wino's
Sunday., May 24, 2008
This was our monthly ritual today. Theme was Wines from South America. Of course Argentina represented the biggest group but there were a few from Chile.
This is the first time in 10 years that I can say I was thoroughly disappointed in the whole day.
This was our monthly ritual today. Theme was Wines from South America. Of course Argentina represented the biggest group but there were a few from Chile.
This is the first time in 10 years that I can say I was thoroughly disappointed in the whole day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)